Golf putting greens take many shapes and forms. Variations in terrain and locations of the cup within the green create various challenges for the golfer trying to hit a golf ball into the cup. Thus, putting is an important and challenging aspect of the game of golf, and can even be the sole focus of some golfers. Accordingly, it is common for golfers, either in practice or in competition, to hit numerous golf balls into one or more cups. The resulting action of bending over and removing the ball from the cup can be both tiring and time consuming. This is a particular problem on practice putting greens, in which numerous cups are located for repetitive putting.
A golf ball ejector is a device that ejects golf balls from putting green cups once the golf balls have been hit into the cup. Such a device is desirable because it minimizes the need to bend over and pick up a golf ball once it has been hit into the cup. Traditionally, this goal is accomplished by attaching a plate to the end of a standard putting green pin so that lifting the plate lifts any balls in the cup. An example of such a ball lifter is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,599,734. Alternatively, an ejection mechanism can be formed as part of the cup to eject the balls from the cup. An example of such an ejector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,402,026. The ejector shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,402,026 requires the installation of a special cup, and the entire cup must be removed from the earth in order to repair or replace the ejector. In addition, the ejector is operated with a gearing mechanism that must extend as far downward into the earth as the ejector is driven upward from the bottom of the cup. Thus the ejector requires an abnormally deep hole in the earth.